The world lacks hope. Human beings are clamoring to fill their empty lives with stuff. As a result, abuse, addiction, illness, and broken relationships surround us.

Hopelessness:

Most people think of hope as a wish, wanting something to happen, but just not sure if it will. They want it to, but have no real confidence it ever will. That’s why there is so much hopelessness in our world. Hopelessness is a dreadful thing. The hope this lost world offers you is all about a feeling or desire that something might happen. But God offers another kind of hope — a real hope — one that you can count on.

The Hope of the World:

Biblical hope not only desires something good for the future — it expects it to happen. Hope in God is possessing a confident expectation that something will happen. Ordinarily, people expressing hope are expressing uncertainty. People need to know that Jesus came to bring hope to a lost world, that He is hope, and that our hope is alive. Jesus Christ is the Hope of the World. But you must receive Him to get it.

Great confidence:

We can hope with great certainty by giving ourselves to Jesus and believing His promises. We can have great confidence in God’s word. In this world that is so uncertain, we need hope. God gives us hope — Jesus is that hope. He gives us the confidence to move forward in life regardless of our circumstances. It sustains us amid the darkest of human circumstances.

Let’s all be hopeful. God will always perform His word.

Just a thought,

PSS

Conflict is inevitable. No relationship is immune.

Opportunity knocks:

When managed biblically, conflict can serve as a catalyst for change and an opportunity for spiritual and relational growth. Psychologists define conflict to be: a state of opposition, disagreement, or incompatibility between two or more people or groups of people. Conflict mostly refers to the existence of the clash, which can be interests, values, actions, or directions. In a “Peanuts” cartoon, Lucy says to Snoopy, “There are times when you really bug me, but I must admit there are also times when I feel like giving you a big hug.” Snoopy replies, “That’s the way I am … bugable and hugable [sic].”

Approach/Avoidance:

And so it is with us and our relationships — we need each other, yet we annoy each other. At times, the people to whom we are the closest are those with whom we experience the most conflict. In friendships, we are off again and on again. Before marriage, opposites attract; but after marriage, opposites attack. In the Church, as the old saying goes, “We long to live in heaven, together in God’s glory. To live together down on earth, well, that’s another story.”

Might is not right:

Proverbs 15:1 (NLT): A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare. We must learn how to handle conflict better, realizing it’s not about being right: it’s about resolving the issue. In Matthew 5:39 (NIV), Jesus said, “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.” To the Jew, this was offensive. They were looking for a military leader who would help them destroy their enemies. Jesus was saying you must give up your rights. Today, we live in a world where people are taught to stand up, fight for your rights — what you think you deserve. Jesus was teaching us not to demand our rights.

In order to resolve conflict, we must pray and humble ourselves and make it about the issue. The relationship is always more important than the issue.

Just a thought,

PSS

Forgiving means accepting what happened and finding a way to move forward.

Health benefits:

Studies have found that the act of forgiveness can reap huge rewards for your health: lowering the risk of heart attack; improving cholesterol levels and sleep; and reducing pain, blood pressure, and levels of anxiety, depression, and stress. According to the Mayo Clinic, forgiveness also brings with it improved relationships, a stronger immune system, and heart health.

What it is/is not:

Forgiveness is something we do for ourselves, not something we do for others. Forgiveness isn’t a pardon or an excuse, and it doesn’t mean you won’t continue to have feelings about what happened. You don’t pretend it never happened, or say what happened is OK. Not forgiving is the equivalent of staying trapped in a jail cell of bitterness, serving time for someone else’s crime. Unforgiveness works to destroy you, to create bitterness and resentment. We can forgive when we understand what it is and what it is not. Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is a choice, a decision. It can affect your feelings as you practice forgiving.

Seventy times seven:

Forgiveness is usually not a one-time occurrence. You may need to, by faith, forgive over and over again, until you are able to move forward. Most people know that they need to forgive for their own well-being. But there have been so many false claims about it. It is not a feeling; it is not a one-time occurrence, and there is no such thing as “forgive and forget.” God forgives and forgets, and we are not God. We forgive and move forward in life, but we do remember because we are human.

So, forgiveness must be practiced over and over again, then you will feel better and be able to move forward in life.

Just a thought,

PSS

God is a relational God. We are created in His image, so we are relational as well.

The road to success:

Relationships in our lives are important towards our success or failure in our lives. At Legacy Church we believe that everyone needs to grow relationships as they take their spiritual journey. Whom we surround ourselves with, whom we let into our inner circle who influence our decisions, could be the difference between success and failure. Even Jesus had an inner circle — Peter, James, and John (Mark 5:37, Mark 14:32-33, Luke 8:51, Luke 9:28).

The unequal yoke:

Whom we take our counsel from is equally important to our overall well-being. God desires that we are not unequally yoked with the wrong people. As Christians we are not to be yoked with unbelievers (2 Cor. 6:14-18 NASB). Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Or what harmony has Christ with Belial? The answer is, None! We are to reach out to the sinner and believe that God will touch their heart and they will repent, but we are not to hang out with them and allow them to influence our lives.

The deception:

In this last election, I am so shocked at how many people who call themselves Christians voted for people who believe in killing our babies and in sodomy, then go to church and worship God who is against all of that. Either He is Lord of all, or not Lord at all. The word of God should have a major influence on all aspects of our lives — all — not some. We are either for Him or against Him. No middle ground.

We must take the word of God seriously and build bridges that are going somewhere, instead of building bridges to nowhere.

Just a thought,

PSS

Regret is stronger than gratitude. Did you know the dead receive more flowers than the living?

The rut of regret:

Regret is defined as: a feeling often accompanied by sadness, shame, and guilt. Regret is when you wish you had done things diferently in your past. It is a robber of life and enjoyment. It leaves us feeling bad about ourselves and really does steal our joy. So, regret is powerful, and so many get stuck there.

Learn from the past:

We cannot go back in our past and do things over. Our decisions are our decisions. The thing we can do is learn from them so we don’t continue to make the same mistakes over and over again. We should learn from our mistakes as well as from our successes. We all have to learn to move forward and not live in the past. Being grateful, I believe, will help us do that.

Be grateful:

Gratitude is defined as: the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. Gratitude is more than feeling thankful for something: it is more like a deeper appreciation for someone (or something) which produces longer lasting positivity and peace of mind. We should be so grateful to God for His forgiveness and His kindness. The Lord is near the heartbroken and He saves those who are crushed in spirit (contrite in heart, truly sorry for their sins) (Psalm 34:18 AMP). If you have blown it living in your past mistakes, if you have been crushed in your heart and mind, repent for whatever part you had in it. God will heal your heart and mind.

Let’s learn and practice gratitude. It will cause our lives to be better.

Just a thought,

PSS